Featured Audience Ratings

• Dan S

  
  A decent, if very flawed and Hollywood-ized political thriller concerning the President (Jeff Bridges) having to fill the void of Vice President, and deciding between a very well-respected governor (William L. Peterson), and a woman senator (Joan Allen) with an apparent dark past.… More
  A decent, if very flawed and Hollywood-ized political thriller concerning the President (Jeff Bridges) having to fill the void of Vice President, and deciding between a very well-respected governor (William L. Peterson), and a woman senator (Joan Allen) with an apparent dark past. This movie has all the ingredients to be a smash - Joan Allen at her finest, Jeff Bridges having fun as the President, Gary Oldman playing sleazy, heck even Sam Elliott is a key part of the whole thing, sadly the movie falls flat on its face at its ridiculously over-the-top finale that left me feeling betrayed. While it pulls some twists that are original and somewhat conceivable, the last 5 minutes of the movie turn this film from being a respectable political thriller into an okay but unsatisfying movie that decided to get too dramatic instead of sticking with the subtle but effective card it played so well for most of the story. Not horrible, but certainly skip-able.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot."</i> Sexy secrets from a womans past come to light as she runs for Vice President. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot."</i> Sexy secrets from a womans past come to light as she runs for Vice President. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Political imbroglio drama with a what if premise: What if the first nominee for Vice President of the United States had an indecent sexual past leading to her character in question vilification by the select committee in appointing her? Loaded with potboiler red herrings and questionable attacks on loyalty are just a few of the gaping holes in this heavy handed but extremely well acted morality play thanks largely to the always solid Allen as the stolid, uncompromising candidate in question who will not kowtow to the powers that be including the equally on target Oldman (in a Farrelly Brothers' inspired hairstyle) as her chief nemesis and Bridges as the folksy, yet smarter than he appears Commander in Chief.

• Drew S

  
  There are so many elements that could have made this a complete disaster, such as the hilariously bad ending, the movie's inability to hold its position on female sexuality, Christian Slater's lousy performance, and the need to put Gary Oldman in a shitty half-bald wig to… More
  There are so many elements that could have made this a complete disaster, such as the hilariously bad ending, the movie's inability to hold its position on female sexuality, Christian Slater's lousy performance, and the need to put Gary Oldman in a shitty half-bald wig to emphasize that he's an evil slimeball, but Joan Allen's noble performance spares the affair. I believe that The Contender has good intentions, but like many other films of its kind, it does not trust the minority character it has empowered in the end. After the cards have fallen, Jeff Bridges gets the final word in the whole affair, which is really a shame since the movie is certainly not about him. It is reminiscent of Spencer Tracy's excruciating final monologue in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. It's a shame that the film passes him its final contention, because the rest of his performance is acerbic and thoughtful as one might come to expect from Bridges. Allen of course makes the film, playing a strikingly believable politician; mature, assertive without aggression, not flighty but not totally humorless. She takes the part and plays it with a total lack of histrionics, which creates an elegant contrast to the rabid media frenzy her past may have left in its wake. Unless you ain't down with the gangbangs, you leave the movie feeling like Allen is someone you'd really want as a politician, someone with her eye on what is really important. The problem lies primarily in the ending's treatment of her, but obviously I cannot discuss this without spoiling it. Simply, beatifying a character isn't necessarily the best way to exonerate them. I can't help but wonder if this was a studio concession, or a way to gloss over the audience's own squeamishness with Mrs. Hanson's dubious acts, but I do know that it feels cheap. Anyway, good concept, and nice attempt at an important gender parity story. It really does a lot to illuminate how venomous politics can be. It doesn't succeed in its primary goal, though it is a relatively entertaining political yarn with fine work from a majority of the cast. I don't really know if Rod Lurie got beneath the surface of the message he was sending, though. The movie retains exemplary control in every aspect but its ideology.

• Film C

  
  Not a bad movie really i love the storyline and cast and was really a good movie to watch and shows how sexism plays a part in politics and becoming an MP or president! really worth a watch!

• Curtis L

  
  An interesting film. It had congress hearings, Jeff Bridges bowling, and Gary Oldman with horrible baldness.

• Jens S

  
  Brilliantly acted political thriller about a vice president nomination causing power games within the US government. Full of great dialogues delivered by an outstanding cast. Especially Joan Allen and Gary Oldman (in great make up effects) give excellent performances while they throw… More
  Brilliantly acted political thriller about a vice president nomination causing power games within the US government. Full of great dialogues delivered by an outstanding cast. Especially Joan Allen and Gary Oldman (in great make up effects) give excellent performances while they throw their lines at each other. While the two hours consist mostly of talking they pass by like nothing and the last 15 minutes come up with one or another pretty unexpected twist. An excellent statement about politics in today's USA. Intelligent, rewarding and important, especially in an election year.

• Jason S

  
  I'm not one for political flicks but I liked this one and thought that it was well cast.

• Michael G

  
  Not great, not bad.

• Rico Z

  
  An exhilerating thriller/drama with a knock-out performance by Joan Allen. This movie touches on many important societal issues, including the corruption that comes with power and the double-standards in society regarding gender. This is one of my favorite political thrillers ever… More
  An exhilerating thriller/drama with a knock-out performance by Joan Allen. This movie touches on many important societal issues, including the corruption that comes with power and the double-standards in society regarding gender. This is one of my favorite political thrillers ever because it has a message and is executed very well-- and delivers all the goods. Definitely a must-see!

• John B

  
  A wonderful political thriller. Joan Allen is absolutely wonderful!

• Alec B

  
  Its a rather ballsy film about the double standards for women in politics and sexuality, and given the treatment of Hilary Clinton by the media in this past election it is probably more relevant than ever. Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges, Sam Elliot, and Joan Allen are phenomenal in this… More
  Its a rather ballsy film about the double standards for women in politics and sexuality, and given the treatment of Hilary Clinton by the media in this past election it is probably more relevant than ever. Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges, Sam Elliot, and Joan Allen are phenomenal in this film. The committee scenes look and feel like the real thing and all of the back door politics are not over the top and are probably what really happens in Washington.

• Brian R

  
  Rod Lurie's "The Contender" is a well made political thriller that focuses on Rebulican turned Democrat Laine Hanson(Joan Allen) as the new appointed VP. Things strart to turn ugly for Hanson, a man named Shelly Runyon(Gary Oldman) does not feel Hanson should be up for… More
  Rod Lurie's "The Contender" is a well made political thriller that focuses on Rebulican turned Democrat Laine Hanson(Joan Allen) as the new appointed VP. Things strart to turn ugly for Hanson, a man named Shelly Runyon(Gary Oldman) does not feel Hanson should be up for the job as the next Vice President. Runyon will find anything in his means to put an end to Hanson political career. Inside sources has managed to find explicit footage of Hanson engage in an sexual romp during her youthful college days(Uh-oh) which leads to a media-televised investigation. There is an intense meeting in The White House involving Democratic U.S. President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) and his right hand man Chief of Staff Kermit Newman(Sam Elliot)and Hanson. The two men want Hanson to confess but Allen is strong and would rather lose her VP nomination rather then making her personal private life anybody's business. Another great scene at the Presidential party, where you have all the characters finally meeting at the oval office. Jackson Evans puts all the pieces together all the pieces thanks to an impressive dossier by secret agent Special Agent Paige Willomina (Katheryn Morris). Lurie's film is one of those pictures that makes you want to debate and ask questions after. The dialogue is funny yet wicked. This is a really great film.

• C.R. L

  
  Some say when your in the public eye your no longer are entitled to your privacy that you must live a life that is essentially perfect and without scandal. this is especially true for politicians who have had more scandals under them than actors, lawyers and Presidents. So most… More
  Some say when your in the public eye your no longer are entitled to your privacy that you must live a life that is essentially perfect and without scandal. this is especially true for politicians who have had more scandals under them than actors, lawyers and Presidents. So most politicians due what they must they hid the truth and lie about there past, they lie so they can do what they have always wanted to to do serve there Country. But some of them get lost along the way and lose sight of what they original got into politics for. So I ask you this what happens when you take a seemingly squeaky clean senator(Joan Allen), a contender for the vice presidency and dig into her past to uncover a shocking and lurid truth that will break the backs of the higher Archy of the nation's political system. You get what most would call the lying game Laine Hanson's(Joan Allen) case she takes on playing the solitary game a game few have ever won.

• Leo L

  
  Interesting.

• Sunil J

  
  Joan Allen is amazing in probably the only political thriller that I can watch over and over again. I love this movie.

• Miriam K

  
  One of the far better films of this decade...Superb acting, good plot and what so many people forget about these days in society...Personal Integrity.

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